Pneumatic vehicle lading system mounted on swingable door

ABSTRACT

The typical swing doors that form the rear wall of a truck-drawn trailer are provided with simple freight-engaging panels that are selectively biased against the lading by inflatable envelopes disposed between the panels and the doors. The source of gas or compressed air is communicated to the inflatable bags by means of a pivotable connector that permits the modified doors to be used as normal doors while providing a reliable supply of pressurized gas to the inflatable envelopes.

ilnited States Patent 1 Enoehian [451 July/24,1973

[ PNEUMATIC VEHICLE LADING SYSTEM MOUNTED 0N SWINGABLE DOOR [75]Inventor: Samuel H. Enochian, Thornton, Ill. [73] Assignee: UnarcoIndustries, 1nc., Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: Sept. 13, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 179,801

[52] 11.8. C1. 280/179 R, 105/369 BA [51] Int. Cl 860p 7/00 [58] Fieldof Search 280/179 R;

105/369 BA, 369 D; 285/151, 168

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,885,221 I 5/1959. Weeks280/179 R 3,427,997 2/1969 Brown 3,177,007 4/1965 Oren 280/179 R3,145,853 8/1964 Langenberg 105/369 BA 2,907,580 10/1959 Tietig 280/179R Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-Robert R. Song Attorney- Lettvin and Gerstman [57] ABSTRACT The typical swing doors thatform the rear wall of a truck-drawn trailer are provided with simplefreightengaging panels that are selectively biased against the lading byinflatable envelopes disposed between the panels and the doors. Thesource of gas or compressed air is communicated to the inflatable bagsby means of a pivotable connector that permits the modified doors to beused as normal doors while providing a reliable supply of pressurizedgas to the inflatable envelopes.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PNEUMATIC VEHICLE LADING SYSTEM MOUNTED ONSWINGABLE DOOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Referring now to thedrawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a In the application of L. W, Bertr S Nwellknown form of truck-drawn trailer having typi- 889,141, filed Dec.30, 1969 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, simplefreight-engaging panels are provided that are to be selectively biasedagainst the lading by inflatable envelopes disposed between the panelsand a substantial upright abutment member such as a wall or a bulkhead.Some of the inflatable envelopes communicate their pressures to eachother.

It is evident that when lading is carried in a typical truck-drawntrailer, the rear swing doors of the trailer serve the same function asan end wall of a railway car. It is desired to equip the door end ofsuch a trailer with the benefits of movable lading-engageable panelsthat are pneumatically cushioned. It is also desired to preserve theutility of the rear swing doors which normally provide loading andunloading of the trailer. The repeated swinging of doors of a trailerbetween open and closed positions poses the problem of preventingobstructions to use of the door and preventing undue flexing and wear inthe pneumatic lines to the inflatable cushions.

The object of the instant invention is to adapt the rear swing doors ofa freight-carrying trailer with pneumatic cushioning means havingselective movement for engaging and protecting lading within thetrailer.

Another object of this invention is to provide pneumatic cushioningmeans on the rear swing doors of a trailer in a manner so as to preservethe utility of the swing doors and so as to permit the doors to swingfreely wthout obstruction from the pneumatic lines and without unduewear to such pneumatic lines by the flexing that would normallyaccompany swinging of the doors.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds and features of novelty whichcharacterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in theclaims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspectiveview of the rear end of a trailer embodying my invention, showing theleft-hand swing door of the trailer partially opened and the right-handswing door closed;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the upperrighthand corner of the rear of the trailer of FIG. I, with theright-hand door in its open position and showing certain details of thepneumatic line adjacent the hinge of that door;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary elevational view of the top portionofthe rear of the trailer of FIG. I, with the two doors of the trailershown in their closed position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken substantially online 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, elevational view of the inside of the rear wallof the trailer of FIG. I, viewed from within the trailer; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the structure of FIG. 5.

cal hinged rear doors 12 and 14, which provide access to the interior ofthe trailer. The improvement of this invention comprises providing meansfor absorbing inertia forces of the articles in trailer 10 exertedagainst the rear wall of the trailer. As shown in the Figures, each ofthe rear doors 12, 14 is provided with an associate uprightarticle-engaging panel 16 which may be made of plywood such as one inchthick AC grade Douglas fir plywood. The panel 16 is of lesser width andheight than each rear door and is spaced from its associate door.However, the size of panel 16 is effective to have its outer face engagesubstantially the full height and width of the articles which are storedin the trailer and rest on the floor 18 of the trailer.

Disposed between each panel 16 and each rear door is an inflatable bag20. A type of bag which may be used is manufactured by Firestone Tireand Rubber Company and is conventionally known as a Firestone 33 inch by89 inch inflatable dunnage bag marketed under the mark AIR-BLOK. Thesides of each inflatable bag 20 are confined between a pair of supportarms 22 that connect to the spaced upright edges of panel 16. Each arm22 is connected at its upper end by means of a pivotal connection 24 tothe associate door adjacent the upper end of the door and is connectedat its lower end at about mid-height of panel 16 by a pivotal connection26.

Each panel 16 is maintained in contact with a face of an inflatable bag20 by means of flexible cables 28 each of which connects at one end to apin 30 on panel 16 at a point above pivot connection 26 and, after beingtrained over a pulley 32 carried on the trailer door, connects at itsother end to a vertically disposed counterweight 34. The counterweightis confined to move in a channel 36 carried by the door 12 or 14. Thisarrangement normally biases the panels 16 toward the rear doors of thetrailer tending to deflate the bags 20. Bumper blocks 38 project towardthe doors from panels 16 adjacent the panels upper edges, and serve tospace the panels a minimum distance from the doors of the trailer so asto provide adequate storage space for the deflated bags.

Each inflatable bag 20 connects to a supply of compressed or pressurizedair, or other, gas, by conduit means that includes one passage throughthe stationary frame of the trailer, one passage through the swingablerear door of the trailer, and one swivel coupling located between thetwo said passages through the structure of the trailer.

The conduit means associated with the air bag 20 for each door 12 and 14is substantially the same except for the supply conduit which leads froma source of pressurized air, or gas, to adjacent the rear of thetrailer. Within the body of the trailer 10 adjacent the upper right handedge, is positioned an elongated supply conduit, or pipe, 40 leadingfrom a source (not shown) of pressurized air, or gas, to a pointadjacent the hinged edge of the trailers door. The source of pressuremay, for example, be a storage tank for compressed air that is normallymaintained charged by a compressor as is well known in the art. Thesupply pipe 40 at its rear end extends through and is supported bypassage 43 in the upper door frame portion 42 at the right rear end ofthe trailer and connects through elbows 44 and 46 to a swivel connector,generally 48. The connector 48 located adjacent the hinged edge of thedoor includes a stationary tubular core 50 which receives gas from elbow46 and communicates same to a pivotable sleeve 52 that surrounds core50. Appropriate gasketing, such as rings provide for seals between core50 and sleeve 52 while permitting pivoting of the sleeve. The sleeve 52carries a tubular discharge stud, or nipple, 54 through which gas passesto a right angled elbow 56 and then through a 45 degree elbow 58 to oneend of a short, flexible hose 60 located on the outer side of door 14.The hose 60 is held against door 14 by a restraining strap 62 whose'endsare secured, by bolts or the like, to the door 14. The other end of hose60 connects to one end of a fitting, generally 64, that includes anupstream elbow 66 on the outside of doorl4,

a downstream elbow 68 on the inside of door 14 and a tubularintermediate section 70 that passes through the door 14 to be pivotallysupported in the door and to, in turn, provide support for the saidelbows 66 and 68. The discharge end of inside elbow 68 connects to oneend of hose 72 that leads through flexible hose section 72a to the airbag 20 adjacent door 14'.

' pair of openings one of which is located adjacent the To supply thecompressedair, orgas, to the air bag 20 adjacent door l2,a T-fitting 74is provided in conduit 40 adjacent the innerside of frame portion 42 anda transverse supply conduit 76 extends from Tj-fitting 74 substantiallyacross the width of trailer 10 to adjacent the upper left corner oftrailer 10 and thence through passage 43. in frame portion 42.Thereafter axis of sleeve 52 thereof is parallel to and closely adja--cent, if not precisely an extension of, the pivot axis of the hingemeans 14a of the door. Desirably the pivot axis of sleeve 52 lies onthesame line as the axis of hinge means 14a to prevent application ofsubstantial stress on the swivel connector 48 or hinges 140, but if aslight offset of such axes occurs, then the flexibility of theexterior'conduit means including elbows 56 and 58 and flexible hose 60,accommodates to such offset. it will be understood that an appropriatecontrol valve may be provided at the inlet end of conduit section 40 andwhen actuated to a fill position the bags 20 will be filled withsuitable air pressure which may be regulated to a substantially precisepressure by appropriate air pressure controls well known in the art.

Although an illustrative embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that various modifications andsubstitutions may be made by those skilled in the art without departingfrom the novel spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is: I. In a system for safely shipping articles ina'trailer having a pair of hinged rear doors, and an upright*arti-,cle-engaging panel in the'trailer attached to and supported from eachrear door, each panel serving as a member for receiving and transmittingforces that are applied longitudinally of the trailer to its respectiverear door; the improvement comprising, in combination: pressurizingmeans within the trailer including an inflatable. envelope disposedbetween andengaging each rear door and its respective panel, to bothprovide left rear door of the trailer and the other of which is locatedadjacent the right rear door of the trailer; a first rotatable connectorpositioned substantially coaxial with the left door's hinge and defininga gas flow path,

a second rotatable connector positioned substantially coaxial with theright doors hinge and defining a gas flow path, a left gas lineextending from the supply gas line to the left opening and therethroughto said first rotatable connector; a right gas line extending from thesupply gas line through the right opening to said second rotatableconnector; means connecting said left and right gas lines to theirrespective rotatable connectors in communication with the gas flow pathsthereof; further-gas lines extending from the rotatable connectors tothe inflatable envelopes at the respective rear doors; and meansconnecting said further gas lines to their re- ,spective rotatableconnectors in communication with the gas flow paths thereof, saidfurther gas lines being rotatable with their'respective connectors. I

2. In a system for safely shipping articles in a trailer having a hingedrear door, and an upright articleengaging panel in the trailer attachedto and supported from the rear door and arranged to move toward and awayfrom the rear door, the panel serving as a member for receiving andtransmitting forces that are applied longitudinally of the trailer totherear door; the improvement comprising, in combination: pressurizingmeans within the trailer including an inflatable'envelope disposedbetween and engaging both the rear door and the panel, to both providepressure means for selectively forcing the panel against the articles inthe trailer and for absorbing and transmitting forces applied to thepanel resulting from a'tendency of the articles to shift longitudinallyin the trailer; a source of gas pressure; and conduit means coupling thesource of gas pressure to the inflatable envelope, a rotatable connectorpositioned substantially coaxial with the rear door hinge and defining agas flow path, said conduit means including a first gas line in thetrailer; means connecting said first gas line to said rotatableconnector in communication with said gas flow path; said conduit meansfurther including a second gas line extending from said rotatableconnector to said inflatable envelope; and means for connecting saidsecond gas line to said rotatable connectorincommunication with said gasflow path, said second gas line being rotatable with the connector. I

3. A system as describedin claim 2, wherein saidfirst gas line has abend at one end to enter said rotatable connector at the connector'saxis, said second gas line extending laterally from said rotatableconnector.

4. A system for safely shipping articles in a trailer having a hingedrear door, said systemcomprising, in combinationzan uprightarticle-engaging panel in the trailer attached to and supported from therear door the trailer to the rear door; pressurizing means including aninflatable envelope disposed between and engaging both the rear door andthe panel, to both provide pressure means for selectively forcing thepanel against the articles in the trailer and for absorbing andtransmitting forces applied to the panel resulting from a tendency ofthe articles to shift longitudinally in the trailer; means. forpressurizing the inflatable envelope; and conduit means coupling thepressurizing means to the inflatable envelope, said conduit meansincluding a gas line in the trailer connected to a rotatable connectorwhich is substantially coaxial with the rear door hinge, and a furthergas line extending from said rotatable connector to said inflatableenvelope; said first mentioned gas line being located on the inside ofthe trailer, running longitudinally of the trailer, and extendingthrough an opening at the rear of the trailer to said rotatableconnector which is located on the outside of the gaging paneloperatively associated with the inneriside of the door, an inflatableenvelope positioned between the inner side of the door and said panel,conduit means carried by the vehicle and the door for introducing gasunder pressure into the envelope to pressurize the envelope and tobiasthe panel in a direction toward lading within the vehicle, saidconduit means including a first, fixedly mounted, supply conduit sectioncarried by the vehicle and extending to a point adjacent the axis of thehinge of the door, a swivel connector arranged to have a pivot axisthereof substantially coaxial with the axis of the doors hinge andhaving one conduit portion thereof connected to the fixedly mountedconduit section, another conduit portion of the swivel connector beingattached to and pivotable with the door, and'a second supply conduitsection fixedly mounted on the door and extending to the inflatableenvelope; said second supply conduit section including one portionthereof carried on the outer side of the door and another portionthereof carried on the inner side of the door and an intermediateportion thereof extending through the door.

p 6. An apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the vehicle has multiplepivotable doors each with a separate inflatable bag associatedtherewith, and the first, fixedly mounted supply conduit section isbranched to extend to points adjacent the axis of each doors hinge, andeach door having a similar swivel-connector, as defined in claim 5,associated therewith.

1. In a system for safely shipping articles in a trailer having a pairof hinged rear doors, and an upright article-engaging panel in thetrailer attached to and supported from each rear door, each panelserving as a member for receiving and transmitting forces that areapplied longitudinally of the trailer to its respective rear door; theimprovement comprising, in combination: pressurizing means within thetrailer including an inflatable envelope disposed between and engagingeach rear door and its respective panel, to both provide pressure meansfor selectively forcing the panel against the articles in the trailerand for absorbing and transmitting forces applied to the panel resultingfrom a tendency of the articles to shift longitudinally in the trailer;a source of gas pressure; and conduit means coupling the source of gaspressure to the inflatable envelopes, said conduit means including asupply gas line on the inside of the trailer, the rear of the trailerdefining a pair of openings one of which is located adjacent the leftrear door of the trailer and the other of which is located adjacent theright rear door of the trailer; a first rotatable connector positionedsubstantially coaxial with the left door''s hinge and defining a gasflow path, a second rotatable connector positioned substantially coaxialwith the right door''s hinge and defining a gas flow path, a left gasline extending from the supply gas line to the left opening aNdtherethrough to said first rotatable connector; a right gas lineextending from the supply gas line through the right opening to saidsecond rotatable connector; means connecting said left and right gaslines to their respective rotatable connectors in communication with thegas flow paths thereof; further gas lines extending from the rotatableconnectors to the inflatable envelopes at the respective rear doors; andmeans connecting said further gas lines to their respective rotatableconnectors in communication with the gas flow paths thereof, saidfurther gas lines being rotatable with their respective connectors. 2.In a system for safely shipping articles in a trailer having a hingedrear door, and an upright article-engaging panel in the trailer attachedto and supported from the rear door and arranged to move toward and awayfrom the rear door, the panel serving as a member for receiving andtransmitting forces that are applied longitudinally of the trailer tothe rear door; the improvement comprising, in combination: pressurizingmeans within the trailer including an inflatable envelope disposedbetween and engaging both the rear door and the panel, to both providepressure means for selectively forcing the panel against the articles inthe trailer and for absorbing and transmitting forces applied to thepanel resulting from a tendency of the articles to shift longitudinallyin the trailer; a source of gas pressure; and conduit means coupling thesource of gas pressure to the inflatable envelope, a rotatable connectorpositioned substantially coaxial with the rear door hinge and defining agas flow path, said conduit means including a first gas line in thetrailer; means connecting said first gas line to said rotatableconnector in communication with said gas flow path; said conduit meansfurther including a second gas line extending from said rotatableconnector to said inflatable envelope; and means for connecting saidsecond gas line to said rotatable connector in communication with saidgas flow path, said second gas line being rotatable with the connector.3. A system as described in claim 2, wherein said first gas line has abend at one end to enter said rotatable connector at the connector''saxis, said second gas line extending laterally from said rotatableconnector.
 4. A system for safely shipping articles in a trailer havinga hinged rear door, said system comprising, in combination: an uprightarticle-engaging panel in the trailer attached to and supported from therear door and arranged to move toward and away from the rear door, thepanel serving as a member for receiving and transmitting forces that areapplied longitudinally of the trailer to the rear door; pressurizingmeans including an inflatable envelope disposed between and engagingboth the rear door and the panel, to both provide pressure means forselectively forcing the panel against the articles in the trailer andfor absorbing and transmitting forces applied to the panel resultingfrom a tendency of the articles to shift longitudinally in the trailer;means for pressurizing the inflatable envelope; and conduit meanscoupling the pressurizing means to the inflatable envelope, said conduitmeans including a gas line in the trailer connected to a rotatableconnector which is substantially coaxial with the rear door hinge, and afurther gas line extending from said rotatable connector to saidinflatable envelope; said first mentioned gas line being located on theinside of the trailer, running longitudinally of the trailer, andextending through an opening at the rear of the trailer to saidrotatable connector which is located on the outside of the trailer, saidfurther gas line being located at least partially on the outside of therear door and being coupled through the rear door to the inflatableenvelope.
 5. A pneumatically pressurized apparatus for cushioningcooperation with lading carried within a vehicle having doors thatprovide for access to the interior of the vehicle Comprising, incombination: a hingedly mounted door having an inner side that faces theinterior of the vehicle when the door is closed, a lading engaging paneloperatively associated with the inner side of the door, an inflatableenvelope positioned between the inner side of the door and said panel,conduit means carried by the vehicle and the door for introducing gasunder pressure into the envelope to pressurize the envelope and to biasthe panel in a direction toward lading within the vehicle, said conduitmeans including a first, fixedly mounted, supply conduit section carriedby the vehicle and extending to a point adjacent the axis of the hingeof the door, a swivel connector arranged to have a pivot axis thereofsubstantially coaxial with the axis of the door''s hinge and having oneconduit portion thereof connected to the fixedly mounted conduitsection, another conduit portion of the swivel connector being attachedto and pivotable with the door, and a second supply conduit sectionfixedly mounted on the door and extending to the inflatable envelope;said second supply conduit section including one portion thereof carriedon the outer side of the door and another portion thereof carried on theinner side of the door and an intermediate portion thereof extendingthrough the door.
 6. An apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the vehicle hasmultiple pivotable doors each with a separate inflatable bag associatedtherewith, and the first, fixedly mounted supply conduit section isbranched to extend to points adjacent the axis of each door''s hinge,and each door having a similar swivel connector, as defined in claim 5,associated therewith.